The parts are removed from the action and dumped in a
bucket containing "Super Clean" "Purple Stuff"
"Super Power" ( 3 or 4 gallons in a 5 gallon bucket )
or one of the other high-potency degreasers available
from auto parts or auto paint ( cheaper ) stores. Do
NOT use "Simple Green" or " Greased Lightning" !!!!!
Let them soak for about 1 minute. No more. These
soaps are so powerful that if the parts are left in
them a long time, they will actually dissolve he wood!
They will also dissolve your hands, eyes, brain, etc.,
so wear gas mask, goggles, gloves, rain coat, rubber
boots, etc.
Dump out the cleaner into another bucket, using
your gloved hand as a strainer and then rinse the
parts off with water. All the old felts will
wonderfully and cleanly come off, of course, saving
you hours of nasty toil scraping them off by hand!
Spread the parts out on a screen, up on buckets ,
and rinse with hose again. ( The filth running off
them will look like dirty motor oil. Very gratifying.
)
When suds stop coming off, leave to dry. I
generally don't do this in the sun, to avoid warpage,
but have a fan blowing on them and flip them every
hour or so.
After they feel dry, leave spread out on paper
indoors to dry further before re-felting, lubrication
bushings and putting back in piano.
Of course,on fussy jobs you will want to measure
individual flanges for tightness, but I have found
that this method gets the gum out of the bushing
cloth, and leaves the centers "just about right",
after some Protec, or other CPL.( To replace the
lanolin which will have also been washed out )
I have never had problems with warpage! Piano
actions were made out of woods resistant to this.
Jacks will come loose, but you'd want to reglue them
anyway.
The only "problem" I have had is that actions are
machined out of glued-up wood, and a few parts may
separate during rinsing, into halves. Just keep the
halves and reglue.
I find these very minor problems far easier to
deal with than hours of scraping, regluing and
regulating of stinking actions, and putting
smelly/dark action parts back into an otherwise
pristine restoratiuon.
And for obsolete parts which are not available,
such as player piano wippens or Victorian Knabe
upright butts, this is the only way I know to get them
really nice. Blasting booths are OK, but this gets
them cleaner.
The parts will look almost like new, in terms of
the lightness of the wood.
Try on a junk action first, to familiarize
yourself.
Thump
and left a long --- Greg DesBrisay
<g.desbrisay@ieee.org> wrote:
>
>
> Thump,
>
> I missed your description of cleaning
> obsolete/filthy action parts.
> What is it?!
>
> Regards,
>
> Greg DesBrisay
>
>
>
> On Wed, 2004-05-19 at 11:04, gordon stelter wrote:
> > Yes, I am quite certain that a hospital would love
> to
> > let you put a filthy old piano action in an
> autoclave!
> > ( Not.)
> > As for my method of cleaning obsolete /
> filthy
> > action parts ... IT WORKS !!! ( Try it before you
> > knock it, ye olde mockinge cumudgeonly coots! )
> > Because of it, my meticulously restored
> upright
> > player pianos have fetched upwards of $20,000,
> from
> > people who would not dream of putting a musty old
> > piano in their mansions!
> > Thump
> >
> >
> > --- Tom Driscoll <tomtuner@comcast.net> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Steve Grattan said: "I do not believe it is
> possible
> > > to kill the mold.
> > > Every affected felt =
> > > or leather piece must be replaced. Mold can be
> a
> > > healthn hazard so take
> > > =
> > > adequate precautions"
> > >
> > > Steve et al,
> > > As far as the health hazard, definately take
> > > precautions. HOWEVER,....as
> > > far
> > > as getting rid of the mould, why not take the
> action
> > > to your local
> > > HOSPITAL,
> > > Central Supply, and have them put it in their
> Gas
> > > Autoclave. As far as I
> > > know, there is no heat used, just gas that kills
> > > spores, bacteria,
> > > virus,
> > > etc. Most of these thingees can house an entire
> > > piano. At least the ones
> > > I've seen.
> > > Bests Regards,
> > > Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon)
> > >
> > > Or you could let Thump turn his fire hose on
> the
> > > thing.
> > > Tom Driscoll
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > pianotech list info:
> > https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > __________________________________
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>
>
> _______________________________________________
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